SPECIFIC FORM. ' .. 2S5 



departure for the explanation of phenomena. A 

 particular substance under identical conditions of 

 environment, must always assume a certain form. 



This close linking of substance and form, admitted 

 as a postulate in physical sciences, has been carried 

 into biology by some philosophical naturalists, by 

 M. Le Dantec, for instance. 



Let us imitate them for a moment. Let us cease 

 to seek in the living being for the prototype of the 

 crystal ; let us, on the contrary, seek in the crystal the 

 prototype of the living being. If we succeed in this, 

 we shall then have found the physical basis of life. 



Let us say, then, with the biologists we have 

 mentioned, that the substance of each living being is 

 peculiar to it ; that it is specific,, and that its form — 

 that is to say its organization — follows from it. The 

 morphology of any being whatever, of an animal — 

 of a setter, for example — or even of a determinate 

 being — of Peter, of Paul — is the " crystalline form of 

 their living matter." It is the only form of equili- 

 brium that can be assumed under the given conditions 

 by the substance of the setter, of Peter, or of Paul, 

 just as the cube is the crystalline form of sea-salt. 

 In this manner these biologists have supposed that 

 they could carry back the problem of living form 

 to the problem of living substance, and at the same 

 time reduce the biological mystery to the physical 

 mystery. I have shown above (Chap. V. pp. 199-204) 

 how far this idea is legitimate, and how far and with 

 what restrictions it may be welcomed and adopted. 



Value of Form as a Characteristic of Living and 

 Brute Beings. — However this may be, we may say, 

 without fear of exaggeration, that the crystalline form 

 characterizes the mineral with no less precision than 



